CVE-2026-31552 — wifi: wlcore: Return -ENOMEM instead of -EAGAIN if there is not enough headroom
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: wlcore: Return -ENOMEM instead of -EAGAIN if there is not enough headroom Since upstream commit e75665dd0968 ("wifi: wlcore: ensure skb headroom before skb_push"), wl1271_tx_allocate() and with it wl1271_prepare_tx_frame() returns -EAGAIN if pskb_expand_head() fails. However, in wlcore_tx_work_locked(), a return value of -EAGAIN from wl1271_prepare_tx_frame() is interpreted as the aggregation buffer being full. This causes the code to flush the buffer, put the skb back at the head of the queue, and immediately retry the same skb in a tight while loop. Because wlcore_tx_work_locked() holds wl->mutex, and the retry happens immediately with GFP_ATOMIC, this will result in an infinite loop and a CPU soft lockup. Return -ENOMEM instead so the packet is dropped and the loop terminates. The problem was found by an experimental code review agent based on gemini-3.1-pro while reviewing backports into v6.18.y.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 0.7% (30-day exploitation probability)+8
- Technical severity (high)+6
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Linux Linux, Linux Linux Kernel).
- The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
- Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (denial of service), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux |
≥ 88295a55fefe5414e64293638b6f7549646e58ed and < 980f793645540ca7a6318165cc12f49d5febeb99version 6.19≥ 6.18.10 and < 6.18.20≥ 6.12.70 and < 6.12.78≥ 6.6.124 and < 6.6.130≥ 6.1.163 and < 6.1.167≥ 5.15.200 and < 5.15.203≥ 5.10.250 and < 5.10.253 and 7 more≥ e75665dd096819b1184087ba5718bd93beafff51 and < deb353d9bb009638b7762cae2d0b6e8fdbb41a69≥ e75665dd096819b1184087ba5718bd93beafff51 and < f2c06d718a7b85cbc59ceaa2ff3f46b178ac709c≥ 689a7980e4788e13e766763d53569fb78dea2513 and < 46c670ff1ff466e5eccb3940f726586473dc053c≥ 71de0b6e04bbee5575caf9a1e4d424e7dcc50018 and < cfa64e2b3717be1da7c4c1aff7268a009e8c1610≥ b167312390fdd461c81ead516f2b0b44e83a9edb and < a6dc74209462c4fe5a88718d2f3a5286886081c8≥ 745a0810dbc96a0471e5f5e627ba1e978c3116d4 and < ceb46b40b021d21911ff8608ce4ed33c1264ad2f≥ cd89a4656c03f8db0c57350aaec69cd3cfaa3522 and < 12f9eef39e49716c763714bfda835a733d5f6dea |
Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Linux | Linux Kernel |
≥ 5.10.250 and < 5.10.253version 7.0-rc7version 7.0-rc6version 7.0-rc5version 7.0-rc4version 7.0-rc3version 7.0-rc2version 7.0-rc1 and 7 moreversion 6.19≥ 6.19.1 and < 6.19.10≥ 6.18.10 and < 6.18.20≥ 6.12.70 and < 6.12.78≥ 6.6.124 and < 6.6.130≥ 6.1.163 and < 6.1.167≥ 5.15.200 and < 5.15.203 |
Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.5 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 3.9 | 3.6 | 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 7.5 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | Linux via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H (score shown at the top: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 0.72%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
- Track CPU/memory spikes and availability drops correlated with request patterns.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · linux/linux
- Record published
- Fix documented
- CVSS changed · 7.5
- Source status changed · → Analyzed
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
References
8 on the record
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/a6dc74209462c4fe5a88718d2f3a5286886081c8
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/cfa64e2b3717be1da7c4c1aff7268a009e8c1610
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/ceb46b40b021d21911ff8608ce4ed33c1264ad2f
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/deb353d9bb009638b7762cae2d0b6e8fdbb41a69
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/980f793645540ca7a6318165cc12f49d5febeb99
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/12f9eef39e49716c763714bfda835a733d5f6dea
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/46c670ff1ff466e5eccb3940f726586473dc053c
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/f2c06d718a7b85cbc59ceaa2ff3f46b178ac709c
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Critical CVE-2026-99999 ipv4: validate checksum_start before completing checksum 10h
- Unknown CVE-2026-98432 ipv4: free inet_opt and ireq_opt after an RCU grace period 10h
- Unknown CVE-2026-98431 RDMA/uverbs: Fix mmap_lock/disassociation_lock circular dependency 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98430 RDMA/efa: Keep admin queues alive while IRQ is registered 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98429 RDMA/efa: Keep EQ resources alive while IRQ is registered 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98428 ALSA: usb: 6fire: Avoid embedded URBs 1d
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No CISA SSVC assessment.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-31552 is "wifi: wlcore: Return -ENOMEM instead of -EAGAIN if there is not enough headroom", rated High. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 7.5 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.72% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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